The Red Tent

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Review:

"By giving a voice to Dinah...the novel has struck a chord with women who may have felt left out of biblical history." The Los Angeles Times

Review:

Review:

"Diamant vividly conjures up the ancient world of caravans, shepherds, farmers, midwives, slaves, and artisans...her Dinah is a compelling narrator that has timeless resonance." Merle Rubin, Christian Science Monitor

Review:

"An intense, vivid novel...It is tempting to say that The Red Tent is what the Bible would be like if it had been written by women, but only Diamant could have given it such sweep and grace." The Boston Globe

Review:

"[A] vivid evocation of the world of Old Testament women....Diamant succeeds admirably." Publishers Weekly

Review:

"The oldest story of all could never seem more original, more true." James Carroll, author of An American Requiem

About the Author

Anita Diamant is an award-winning journalist and author of five books about contemporary Jewish life including The New Jewish Wedding and Choosing a Jewish Life: Guidebook for People Converting to Judaism and for their Family and Friends. She lives in Newton, Massachusetts, with her husband and daughter.

What Our Readers Are Saying

Average customer rating based on 16 comments:

Chattykathy, January 19, 2012 (view all comments by Chattykathy)
This is a wonderfully layered account of life in ancient times, from a female's perspective. It takes no time before we are captured by Dinah's spirit, her resilience, and her journey into a mature woman of many talents, grace and integrity.
Coming from a non-religious background, I found it intriguing, and also enlightening to entertain what the biblical times would have been like for a woman. Definitely a must read for any female who is looking to strengthen herself within.

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chep33, September 4, 2011 (view all comments by chep33)
A really beautiful story full of rich details describing the way women in nomadic cultures once lived together and depended upon one another for childbirth, the raising of children and in caring for their tribes. Told from the perspective of a midwife, she recounts her stories of the red tent - a place women were exiled during the three days of the new moon in order for them to have their menstruation away from the men and the place in which women went to birth their children. The red tent was a place of bonding and communing with each other. It's a very beautiful concept when compared with the way we largely ignore our bodies cycles in today's society. I was fascinated by the simple fact that a woman's body was once aligned to the moon and to the women she surrounded herself with and I was a little saddened that we've grown so out of alignment with our natural connections to the earth.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)

"Review"
by The Los Angeles Times,
"By giving a voice to Dinah...the novel has struck a chord with women who may have felt left out of biblical history."

"Review"
by Philadelphia Inquirer,
" A novel well worth reading!...very rich and fulfilling."

"Review"
by Merle Rubin, Christian Science Monitor,
"Diamant vividly conjures up the ancient world of caravans, shepherds, farmers, midwives, slaves, and artisans...her Dinah is a compelling narrator that has timeless resonance."

"Review"
by The Boston Globe,
"An intense, vivid novel...It is tempting to say that The Red Tent is what the Bible would be like if it had been written by women, but only Diamant could have given it such sweep and grace."

"Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"[A] vivid evocation of the world of Old Testament women....Diamant succeeds admirably."

"Review"
by James Carroll, author of An American Requiem,
"The oldest story of all could never seem more original, more true."

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